With Newcastle boss Steve McClaren seemingly on the brink of being axed at the struggling North East club, midfielder Jonjo Shelvey believes the players have let their manager down.

Shelvey, currently captaining the club in the absence of Fabricio Coloccini, has told Sky Sports News HQ the players deserve more of the criticism.

"It's obviously a sticky situation and Steve is at the forefront of it, which he doesn't deserve to be honest. But it is what it is," said Shelvey.

"It's nice to know what Steve thinks of me, and I think a lot of him also. We've got to play for him while he's still in charge and hopefully he stays in charge."

Despite the constant off-field speculation, Shelvey insists the players have no option but to keep their minds on the task ahead.

"I think you have got to keep your focus. You're getting paid loads of money to do your job," he added. "It is your job to keep yourself away from the media and the rumours. You can't listen to that because you can never believe something until it has happened.

"We've been very professional this week and we've trained really well. Training has been fun and enjoyable and we're just preparing as usual for the Leicester game."